My eyes slowly open, and as my vision starts to clear my feeling returns. My entire body pounds with the beat of my heart, which moves faintly against the sweat-drenched skin of my throat. My chest heaves with every breath and every sip of air feels like a drink of liquid fire.

I slowly start to sit up, every muscle in my body groaning in protest. I'm back in my bed, as if nothing had ever happened. My knife belt lies neatly on the table next to me, every knife in its sheath looking untouched and unused, and as memories start to trickle back into my pounding head I wonder where everyone is. As soon as I do the door opens with a loud creak.

I look up blearily as Jay steps into the room, gasps, then rushes out again. I don't know exactly what I expected, but as the door slowly starts to shut, that wasn't it.

I move over the edge of the bed and slowly get to my feet. My legs are a little wobbly, but I'm able to stand up. I reach toward my knife belt, then stop and stare at my hands. I turn my left wrist over where my bracelet is turned the wrong way, and despite the fact that it had an inferno as hot as the sun blazing over it, the gold dragon is still as untouched and beautiful as ever.

The door bangs open again, and I jump, knocking my knife belt to the ground and nearly throwing myself back into bed.

"I told you she's awake!" Jay exclaims as he waves the people behind him into the room. Sensei Wu enters, giving me a kind smile.

"So she is," he steps forward, holding a walking stick. "You gave us quite a scare there, Ash. You've been asleep for almost five days now."

I look up as more people sidle in- Jay, Kai, Zane, and Nya- but Cole is nowhere to be seen.

"I'm sorry," I say, looking back into Sensei's wise eyes. "I know you must be furious with me. I lied to all of you, nearly killed you, and probably destroyed your most of your ship." I shake my head. "Believe me when I say any punishment you give me is justified."

"What are you talking about?" Nya snorts, catching me off guard. "You saved us, Ash."

"Nya's right," Kai agrees. "I mean, you should've seen yourself out there. Why didn't you tell us earlier about your power? It's amazing!"

My jaw snaps shut. "I- what?"

"You saved us," Jay repeats. "All of us. We're not going to punish you- heck, you should get an award! Aren't you happy about that?"

"No, I mean," I shake my head. "It's bad, I'm not… normal. I'm- I'm a monster. I've… I've hurt people. Killed…" My voice dies.

"Ash, what happened to your town, your nightmares- was that a result of your power?" Zane asks, and I feel my heart tremble with old pain.

There's a few seconds of silence as I organize my chaotic mind. "Yes," I finally answer. "I've had these… abilities since before I can even remember. My father spent all my time teaching me how to control it, but it's just so strong. Every emotion feeds it, and just the amount of energy it takes to keep it under control- well, you've seen what it can do. Four years ago, I lost control. I don't remember how it happened; all I know is that I burnt my town to ashes."

Tears start to swim in my eyes, and I force them back with a cough. "My dad disappeared soon afterwards, and everyone in town hated me for what I did, so… I ran away into the forest and searched for my dad. A while ago I met Hale again, at least before you met him. He gave me a choice. Your lives or my father's," I shake my head. "I can't even begin to apologize for everything. I put you all in danger for a selfish desire-"

"Ash, you were looking for your dad," Kai gives me a kind smile. "Hale took advantage of that. He's the one you should blame."

"Kai is right, Ash," Sensei Wu says. "You are not the monster you believe you are. I knew that from the moment you stepped on this ship."

I look up at him. "Wait, you- you knew?"

"I told you I recognized your power, or at least had a sense of it," he answers. "Now I didn't know the details of your predicament, but I knew you weren't here just to ask for help in the search for your father. The entire time you were on this ship, the only ones who ever asked me about your father were my students. Once Nya and I looked into your past, I knew whatever was troubling you must have had something to do with that accident."

"You knew what I did," I say slowly. "But you let me stay? I was going to kill you."

"But you didn't," he gives me a kind smile. "Instead, you bonded with my students and saved us from not only Hale, but from yourself. That takes a unique kind of strength, something a monster does not have."

I shake my head. "I almost killed all of you. Plus who knows how much damage I did to your ship-"

"This place was in need of an upgrade anyways," Nya shrugs. "We'll fix everything in no time."

"Ash, you've spent all of this time running from something you were born to be," Sensei says. "I think it's time you faced your fears and embraced your potential. Learn from your past, don't run from it. Use what's happened to make you stronger and one day you'll be a great warrior."

I swallow the lump in my throat. "I don't know if I can."

"Hey, we believe in you," Kai gives me a smile that the others mirror. I feel the corners of my own lips twitch up before another dark thought clouds my head.

"What about my dad?" I ask. "You said you couldn't find him, but Hale showed me clear evidence he was still alive and…" The memory of my dad's screams echoes in my head and I shove it aside before it can take hold.

"I'm afraid what I told you still stands," Sensei sighs. "We were unable to find him. We may be unable to trust whatever Hale showed you. He was very cunning to hide in plain sight the way he did. We cannot know for sure if what you saw was the truth."

I close my eyes as my chest tightens. I take in a deep, shuddering breath. "So that's it. My dad's… gone. For good."

"If your father is alive, I'm sure we'll find him," Zane says.

"In the meantime, Ash, my offer still stands," Sensei's dark eyes bore into mine. "You may join us, perhaps not as a ninja but as a friend and warrior. It may take some time and hard work, but I can help you learn to control your power. That is, if you're willing."

I look up. "You'd do that for me?"

"You've done more than enough to help us," he answers, "and the only thing you can do is get stronger in the case that your father is going to need your help."

"Why?" I ask. "After all I've done-"

"You're a child who misses her father," Sensei answers. "You can believe me when I say I know exactly how you feel. Alone these emotions will fester and corrupt you. Alone, you are vulnerable. But with a family-" he smiles "you'll grow stronger."

I bite back a different kind of tears as a genuine smile splits my face. "Thank you," I manage to say. "Just… Thank you."

Sensei smiles again and a niggling thought worms to the front of my mind.

"Where's Cole?"

He smiles knowingly. "He is in his room, recovering as you should. You can speak to him now if you want, but only briefly. For now both of you must rest and heal. No war was ever won with injured soldiers."

Sensei Wu exits the room, followed by a few muttered and, in Jay's case, shouted 'goodbyes' and 'get well soons', then I'm left alone. My hand moves to the sun necklace nestled comfortably against my collar, and a trail of fingertips reawakens old, happy memories. I open my eyes and look down at the shining bracelet on my wrist, and leave the room.

I knock on the door to the ninja's bedroom, and after a couple of seconds there's a muffled 'come in'. The door creaks open to a dimly lit room, and I catch Cole's shape huddled on his bed.

"Oh, Ash!" he sits up too fast and winces, clutching his bandaged head with a moan.

"Lie back down," I say in a soft voice as I approach. "It'll help."

He stays sitting up and gives me a smile. "Kai told me you were awake," he grins, "and he told me a lot of other stuff, a little too fast to tell the truth. Are you really staying here to train as a ninja?"

I can't help but laugh as I sit next to him on the bed. "No. Sensei Wu offered to let me stay in order to control my power," I answer.

"And?"

I bite my lip. "I'm-I'm not sure."

"Why not?" he asks.

"I nearly killed you. Multiple times," I stare up at him, remembering the look on his face as I raised a knife above his chest.

"That was Hale controlling you," he says.

"Not the first time," I shake my head. "And not all the times before that. I came here completely prepared to kill you, and if I didn't meet you guys the way I did… I might have."

"Ash, you've saved me more times than you've tried to kill me," Cole puts a hand on my wrist. "It kind of compensates."

His palm brushes against the bracelet, and he looks a little surprised. "That thing survived?" he asks in disbelief. "But it was so melty when Kai and I were making it-"

"Wait a second, you and Kai made this?" I echo, staring down at the bracelet with a new sense of appreciation. "That's-"

"Cheesy? Yeah. Kai said that."

"No," I shake my head. "It's amazing. How did you two even-?"

"Kai's dad was a blacksmith. Kai knows his way around an anvil," Cole shrugs, wincing at the movement. "Honestly, I'm surprised you're even wearing it. I thought for sure you were going to rip it off as soon as you had the chance."

"What? And insult its creators? Not a chance," I shake my head with a laugh. "Seriously. You and Kai did an amazing job. I mean, this thing survived an inferno." I feel my voice die as I remember the blazing flames burning around me. I look back up into Cole's dark eyes.

"I need to thank you, Cole," I say. "Without you, I wouldn't have broken out of Hale's control."

"You're welcome, I guess," he says. "Though I really didn't have much to do with it. You're the one who fought Hale off and burnt him to a crisp."

"Yeah," I shove back the memory before it can resurface. "I guess I did."

"Ash… what happened with your village… I don't think it was ever your fault."

I look back up at him. "I lost control. The only way it could've possibly been more my fault is if I did it on purpose."

"That's the thing, Ash," he says. "You were a kid. I'm sure even Sensei couldn't handle pressure like that when he was eleven."

I can't help but laugh a little. "You know, until today I never had anyone tell me it wasn't my fault," I shake my head. "Everyone blamed me for it, called me a monster. I felt so guilty I started to call myself 'Ash' so I'd never forget what I'd done."

"Your name isn't really Ash?" he asks.

I shake my head again. "I left my name behind when I went after my father."

"So… what was it?"

I sigh. "You really want to know?" I ask, and he nods. I take a deep breath and remember the name that belonged to the scared little girl from four years ago. "My name was Iris."

"Iris," he says it slowly. "I can see that."

I smile a little. "Well, now I'm Ash the Assassin-slash-Pyromaniac," I let out another breath.

"No, you're just Ash. Our friend," Cole gives me a smile. "Whatever Hale tried to tell you about yourself is wrong. If there's anything I've learned from becoming a ninja, it's that other people can't tell you what you are. You have to realize it for yourself. You decide who you're going to be and you're the only one who has to be happy with it."

"You sound like you speak from experience," I say. He shakes his head slightly.

"Believe me when I say I do," he says.

I laugh a little. "You know Cole, you're probably one of the nicest guys I've ever met."

"Do you mind telling the others that?"

I punch his arm lightly. "You're an idiot. But you're nice," I smile.

"Nice enough for you to stay?"

I pause and bite my lip as his eyes search my face. I can see the anticipation in his gaze as I glance down my bracelet, then lift my eyes back to his. "You know," I say with a soft smile. "I think you might be."

There are a few loud cheers from behind the door, then loud hushing noises as I can only imagine the other three ninja piled on top of each other trying to listen in.

I laugh a little as I start to get to my feet. "I should go," I say. "You need to rest."

"Ash, wait," Cole grabs my arm as he stands up too, blinking as his head swims. "About your dad-"

"Cole, it's fine-"

"I heard the recording," he says, hand tightening around my wrist. I drop my gaze. "I'm sorry."

"It's… it's okay," I manage to say as something bubbles up in my throat. "He's gone. I know that now."

"Ash," Cole's voice drops to a gentle whisper as my entire body starts to tremble. "Ash, look at me."

I bite my lip and force myself to look up into his eyes, dark brown and as gentle as my father's. My jaw shudders.

"Ash, it's okay," he says in a warm voice. My breath catches and I cover my mouth before my emotions spill out. My vision blurs with moisture just before a sob slips between my lips and I collapse against him. Cole whispers soothing words in my ear as everything spills out in agonizing waves that rush through my entire body. He holds me tightly as I weep all of my memories into his shirt, only stopping to take painful, shuddering breaths until all I'm left with is a feeling of suspended emptiness.

"I'm sorry," I mutter in a broken voice. "I didn't mean to get so… emotional."

"It's alright," Cole's voice smiles at my ear. "Everyone has to cry sometime. Even me."

I laugh a little as I pull away and look up at his face. "Did I mention you were an idiot?"

"After you said how I was one of the nicest guys you ever met," he grins back.

"Right," I smile before I stretch onto my toes and kiss him on the cheek.

He seems a little stunned, but quickly recovers he pulls me closer and lifts my face toward him. I just let my eyes close when the door suddenly crashes to the ground.

Cole and I jump away from each other and look to see Zane, Jay, and Kai lying dazed on the broken door. There's a second of silence, then we all burst into laughter.